Indian
Wedding Customs and Traditions
Indian weddings are not just about serious rituals and customs.
There are various other fun filled rituals and frothy moments in
Indian wedding ceremonies that lightens the mood and remains as
cherishing moments in the coming years. Wedding marks the beginning
of a new relationship not just between two individuals but also
between two families.
There are various moments in the wedding ceremonies that help to
build new relationships. Every caste and community has its own tradition
and culture.
India with such diverse cultural background showcases
a variety of fun filled rituals and customs. And nowadays with Hindi
movies becoming so popular among everyone that people are following
the customs and rituals shown in the movies. Especially movies like
Hum Apke Hain Koun showcasing all the rituals associated with Indian
weddings have made us familiar with the rituals. Some of the facts
about Indian wedding are as follows.
Parsee saalis takes gifts from their brother-in-law
or jija during the ritual of haath boravanu where the groom puts
his hand in water and cannot remove them until he pays money to
them, pag dhovanu is another such ritual where the groom is threatened
with milk on his shoes and chero chorvanu is a ritual in which seven
strands of thread tying the couple are removed on payment. In other
community also this ritual is there where the sister-in-laws or
saalis hide the shoes of their jija or brother-in-law and return
them only in exchange for money. It's a very fun filled and enjoying
ritual.
In some communities, there are rituals where the hands of the couple
are covered with a sacred cloth to ward off ill omen and evil eye
during the pheras.
In Gujarati custom the groom's mother-in-law tries
to catch his nose on arrival of the baraat, as a reminder of the
fact that he is taking away their daughter and is now responsible
for her happiness. Aeki-Beki is also very fun filled rituals among
the Gujarati community. It is full of fun and games. A tray or pot
of water is mixed with milk and vermillion. A ring and a few coins
are thrown into the mixture. The bride and groom are given seven
chances to fish out the ring.
The winner is considered as having a dominating personality
and it is predicted amidst much laughter that he or she will rule
the roost! In Punjabi custom the bride's wear a Chuda, which is
a set of red and ivory bangles by her maternal uncle. This custom
is considered good omen for the bride as it is said to bring good
luck to the bride in her new home. Punjabi brides wear Kaleeres.
These are silver or gold plated ornaments tied to the Chudas. It
is said that the bride has as many friends as there are leaves in
the Kaleere.
Sweets, eggs, and money are woven into to wedding
themes of India. They symbolize, respectively, a sweet life, feretility,
and prosperity. The Hindu wedding ceremony includes customary rituals
to ward off evil spirits. After the wedding vows have been exchanged
the groom's father or brother showers flower petals on the newlyweds;
then he holds a coconut over the bride and groom's heads and circles
it around them three times. An Indian groom often wears a turban
with a veil of flowers streaming down in front of his face to protect
him from evil spirits.
Traditional Indian brides wear pink and red saris
on their wedding day, adorning themselves extravagantly with as
much jewelry as possible. Henna staining, a customary art form,
is still practiced by Indian brides to be. On the eve of her wedding
vows, following a traditional ceremonial cleansing, the bride-to-be
will have her hands and feet painted with henna, in beautiful paisley
or medallion patterns.
Then a special wedding gift is given to the bride,
a necklace signifying her married status.
Another ritual, which is found in almost every community
is when the groom brings home his new bride, the groom's sisters
block the entrance to the home and demand money from their brother
as a shagun before they let him in.
This is a fun filled and enjoying ritual. So
these are some of the fun facts associated with Indian wedding,
which makes it exciting and enjoying. And these fun memories are
cherished for the years to come.
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